ALL successful batsmen in the game’s history have possessed one basic and most important ingredient in their make-up and that is the ability to concentrate for longer periods to stay at the wicket and play a responsible innings.

Skills, temperament, footwork, tactics to handle pace or spin in changing conditions then combine with that ability to make a complete batsman. Those who are unable to accomplish this, lack consistency and there is always a chance of them being left out or lose their place in the team to another player who could handle the situation better and deliver for the team.

Younis Khan, the highest run-maker for Pakistan in Tests, added yet another hundred to his impressive tally of 32 on the opening day of the second Test against the West Indies and now unquestionably ranks amongst the greats. Time and again, he has demonstrated this ability to dig in and play a long innings for his side, successfully converting fifties into hundreds.

His third century against the West Indies and his eleventh in the UAE was really special since he is coming back straight after a severe viral infection that had left him quite weak. No doubt, it speaks a thousand words of the quality of batsmanship that he has displayed over the years.

Only once in his illustrious career, since he donned his country’s cap, was he dismissed in the nineties while heading towards a three figure mark and that was against New Zealand at Auckland back in 2001, his debut year.

On his happy hunting ground at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, he once again showed us the mettle that he is made of. Determined and gritty he made his presence felt right from the outset after Pakistan had lost the triple century maker of the first Test Azhar Ali for a duck and Sami Aslam for just 6.

Never in any discomfort nor showing signs of fatigue, Younis batted superbly and with a familiar determined approach to negotiate pace and spin of the visitors to race past his 33rd century.

All that hop and jump that we witnessed in England before he settled down to score a match winning double century at The Oval seemed to have vanished as he merrily dispatched the lose deliveries to all corners of the ground. Some of the cover drives and cuts was executed with effortless ease and timing.

Asad Shafiq and the captain Misbah-ul-Haq also notched up scores of over fifty runs to take Pakistan to a respectable score in the end. What pleases me most is the manner in which Asad Shafiq is developing as a batsman. Batting with experienced men like Younis and Misbah has no doubt brought the best out of him and he has many years ahead of him to break many records for his country.

Published in Dawn October 22nd, 2016